Laser focuses on cataracts

MARNIE MCKIMMIE

August 28, 2013

When the lens of the eye becomes cloudy due to cataracts and affects vision, WA surgeons now have the use of a high-tech laser to remove and repair the damage.

Murdoch Eye Centre’s Kai Goh, who uses the new laser for creating bladeless incisions and to dissolve the cataract, said he believed it had the potential to increase the safety of cataract surgery because it was more precise and more predictable.

The reduced energy required might also make the procedure safer to the delicate structures of the eye by minimising the loss of corneal endothelial cells, vital for maintaining optimal transparency. This was particularly important, he said, with older patients who may have lower counts of these cells.

In WA, there are more than 20,000 cataract surgeries done a year, during which the cloudy lens is removed and replaced with an intraocular lens implant to restore the focusing power of the eye. Most surgeries are done as day procedures and traditionally ultrasound energy alone is used to break up the cloudy lens and suction to remove the lens pieces.

“Using the new laser, a precise incision is created in the cornea and an exact diameter, perfectly sized circular opening of the lens capsule is achieved every time,” Dr Goh said. “This critical part of the operation has become very precise and repeatable. It also makes our prediction for what refraction patients achieve after the surgery much more predictable.

“The laser then also, by creating a series of small microscopic bubbles, cuts the cataract into several smaller pieces.

“So when we are actually operating inside the eye, a lot less energy and a lot less fluid is used. And the amount of energy we use in the eye is important because one of the most important structures affected by energy is the corneal endothelial cells that keep the corneal clear.”

CATARACT FACTS

Having a cataract can be compared to looking through a frosted or steamed window. It is not a growth or film over the eye, rather a clouding of the normally clear lens of the eye.

Symptoms of cataract can include:

Blurring of vision

Glare or light sensitivity

Poor night vision

Decreased vision for reading

Fading of colour perception

Needing a brighter light to read

Cataracts develop as a normal part of the ageing process and are most common in people over 60.

The prevalence of cataract rises from about 2.5 per cent for people in their 40s to 99 per cent of people in their 90s.

The most common type of cataract is associated with ageing. Other associations of cataract include:

Trauma

Sunlight exposure

Medications – corticosteroids

Diabetes

Short-sightedness

Cataracts can be diagnosed with an eye examination. If you notice any changes in your vision, you should have your vision checked by a GP, optometrist or eye specialist.

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